As a parent there are few joys as pleasing to experience as those of a child achieving some major milestone of development: the first smile, first words, first steps, etc. To any self-respecting engineer, scientist or incurable child geek, all of these pale in comparison to the mother of all firsts:
THE FIRST LEGO CREATION BUILT FROM SCHEMATICS
Riesling achieved this momentous accomplishment today, using instructions from the small LEGO set (#6801-Rocket Sled) that was one of my first as well. She had the additional difficulty of needing to find the pieces from the thousands of mixed lots that constitute our LEGO fortune. I did help her with locating the correct pieces because I felt this was a somewhat daunting task for the novice builder.
Both Cashel and Riesling have always enjoyed making crazy and sometimes out of this world creations, and now I am looking forward to them also learning to read and interpret the detailed schematics that typically accompany most LEGO sets. NOTE: I tried to encourage Cashel with his project but in the end he was more interested in running around (see photo). I’m sure he’ll acheive this milestone in due time as well
We were up and at ‘em this morning to make Riesling’s 9:15 ballet class. The parts for the Nutcracker were posted when we arrived. Riesling was selected to be a Polychinelle and a Page. I don’t think she was quite sure what to make of this as she just expected to be a Polychinelle.
During ballet, Joe took Cashel for a walk around town and they found a really cool playground. Cashel was very excited about it.
When ballet was finished we went on to Joe’s work for Family Day. What a great learning opportunity. We explored laboratories, offices, restrooms and factories. In the labs, the kids found the glassware fascinating and wanted to explore all the drawers. They were interested in what the hoods were for and the emergency showers and blankets. They were excited to see Daddy’s office plastered with their artwork and photos. Cashel drew his first ever face with eyes and a mouth on Joe’s whiteboard. They got a flashlight and a thermometer, made a potty stop and were ready for the factories.
On the way we saw steam pipes that had valves at ground level to release the water that condensed inside. We talked about how the steam is invisible immediately upon exit but quickly condenses enough so that it is visible as water vapor. Riesling measured the temperature of the steam, as well as a stream of water coming out of a pipe that we happened upon. We compared this to the temperature of the air around us. Cashel shined his flashlight at every opportunity, especially at the crystals in a column in a factory. We observed the very beginnings of a product and how an operator was monitoring the many iterations on a computer screen. After 2 hours we were all tired and hungry. We grabbed a bite to eat and then the kids made butterflies using coffee filters, markers, a spray bottle and pipe cleaners. Cashel loved the spray bottle, so while Riesling made 3 butterflies, he quickly finished one and sprayed everything and everyone within range!
When we got home Cashel asked for a spray bottle and continued his spree. The kids road bikes. Then Riesling got the spray bottle and relentlessly sprayed Cashel, despite him having a stick bigger than himself that he kept swinging at her. After many trips outside to help them work things out, Cashel decided to come inside. He started to help me get the recycling together, then went outside, took off his shoes and proceeded to attempt to use our little orange cones as foot wear. He wanted to go to the dump with me, so I put him in the car, put his shoes back on and we were off.
Riesling and Cashel helped throw the plastic in its recycling skid while I did the glass and steel. Then we all did the cardboard and aluminum. We talked about how aluminum and steel were made of different metals. We also talked about why I had to retrieve the aluminum can that Cashel had thrown into the plastic recycling skid.
Post recycling trip, they went and played in the sandbox. Riesling came in at one point and donned her blue sequined shorts jumper and attempted to teach me some cheerleading moves, as she had seen some cheerleaders at family day. Her cheers involved the works Hey Ho, Hey Ho, It’s off to work we go! I did my best to keep up while I made dinner and had heated discussions with Cashel as to why he couldn’t bring sticks into the house. Joe provided a much needed diversion by getting the kids’ shovels and involving them in helping him move some mulch around.
After dinner, I read Cashel Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes and Joe read to Riesling. They were so very tired that they had a hard time falling asleep. Cashel wouldn’t put on his PJs or turn off his light. Joe goofed around with him for a bit and he finally settled down and went to sleep. Riesling did the same after a few trips to investigate what was happening on the other side of her door.
In Gleamer’s previous post, “Why does the soap have a spring in it?”, she mentions that I would post some explanation of the soap dispenser. Well I just don’t have enough time to do a detailed explanation so in the mean time you will have to settle for the explanation in the video. I’ve found doing life-sized demostrations of complicated phenomena and mechanisms is a great way to involve the children in learning. It also keeps my mind fit as I try to figure out yet another unintended use for one of their toys or some random piece of junk. (Incidentally, the idea to use the green alligator tube as the spring was Gleamer’s and she shot the video, a true collaborative effort!)
Riesling and Cashel were in bed with me this morning arguing over my hands. Riesling was trying to explain to Cashel that I had 2 hands and that they could each have one of them while Cashel was insisting that he have both hands. Ahhh the joy of learning about ratios early in the morning. I asked what time it was and Cashel said seven seven six eight and Riesling said it’s seven thirty eight; past time to get up and make the smoothies!
While I blended, the kids decided to get out the Legos. I let them know that I wasn’t any good at playing with Legos and wouldn’t be able to help them. They said ok and began taking items out of the containers. Before long Riesling was in the throws of frustration (crying and blubbering) because she couldn’t get her very tall car to stand up. I asked her how I could help and then just finally left her alone after she wouldn’t answer me. Cashel took this opportunity to bang his roller into Riesling’s feet, further frustrating her. After a bit Cashel left Riesling alone and her car stayed together and all was well.
Cashel let me know that he had to go potty and afterwards, as I was washing his hands and singing ABC’s, he asked why there was a spring in the soap.
“Ummm, I’m not sure, except that I don’t think that it would work without it,” I said.
I searched online for an answer and got nowhere except that the kids got very ansy. I decided to use my lifeline and to call Joe at work and have him explain it. He told them that the spring pushes the pump back up to suck more soap into the tube which will be squirted out the next time the pump is pushed down. He said that when he gets home they can take one apart and look at it.
They looked at books and played doctor to both animals (”Oh a vetrenarian,” I said) and humans.
Then they played barber to their stuffed animals who have any hair left after the last few renditions of barber. Riesling took the fabric which I had detached from an old umbrella and wrapped it around her stuffed kitty’s neck to mimic the cape the beautician had used when she cut our hair.
They used one continuous piece of clear tape to try to go from one end of the house to the other, making sure it was securely over the doors so that no one could get in or out of them. After they had gone through one and a half rolls of tape, I let them know that another roll would cost $2. They decided that they would rather spend their money on something else.
Riesling and Cashel continued their rehearsal of the “show” that they will be presenting sometime today, as they didn’t get to do it yesterday.
We played 72 card Memory and then Candyland. I am always in awe of how fantastic their memories are…or possibly how poor mine is…as they always whip my butt!
At lunch Riesling and Cashel tried to reinact a beat box video that they had seen and really like using old spice containers and their bowls.
We read lots of books. The Emperor’s New Clothes (A Favorite Fairy Tale Retold) by Van Gool, Trick-or-Treat Faces by Judith Moffatt and A Weekend With Wendell, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, & Wemberly Worried all by Kevin Henkes.
Since we were having pears as part of our snack, we read Too Many Pears by Jackie French.
When Joe got home, Cashel barely let him get a hello out before asking, “Why does the soap have a spring in it?” Please see Joe’s post to read about the science that ensued.
I decided to make gnocchi from scratch tonight. Riesling helped Joe make many of them. Cashel peeled the carrot that went into the pumpkin sauce. But before they would help Riesling asked that I get her “kitchen robe” for her :) Makes sense to me! I got them both their aprons and they were set.
Before we ate Riesling and Cashel finally performed their show. It was “belly button dancing”. I have absolutely no idea where she thinks this stuff up! I do think it was very important to her because she picked up all the toys from the living room and made sure they had enough room to move. Riesling wore a scarf tied around her chest and a long skirt and Cashel donned his pink satin skirt and decided to go commando. They both had so much fun dancing and we just loved watching them.
I read Can You Tell Me How to Get To Sesame Street? by Eleanor Hudson and they passed out.
within range!
